Wednesday, November 9, 2011

How to deal with Homesickness

I think one of the hardest things about going to college far away from home would be getting through those phases of homesickness.  I knew I wouldn't be able to go home whenever I would want; I could only go home over the long holidays.  I was worried about missing home and wanting to go home easily. 

Last year, coming in as a first-year I kept myself busy and barely noticed not having my family and friends nearby.  The first time I felt homesick was when I got my concussion.  It happened the weekend after my parents came to visit so I knew I wouldn't see them for awhile.  It started out as this moment when all I wanted to was go home but turned out to be a good thing.  I learned who my friends were and who would be there for me.  I also learned how to get through a difficult situation without my parents holding my hand, which is a hard lesson to learn.

Second semester started off smoothly and I began to make more decisions on my own without calling home and trying to get my parents to make decisions.  It also had me feeling the most homesick at the end of April.  It was the hardest week for me at St. Mike's.  Back home a close family friend died, 2 people went into the hospital, and I pulled my first all nighter.  I couldn't go home and wouldn't be able to until after finals (probably about 4 weeks).  My friends were very supportive and checked in on me every day.  They ate ice cream with me and sat with me if I needed someone to talk to.  They gave me hugs and helped me to smile.  They helped me through my time of need.

This year started off much easier then as a first-year.  I knew I would have friends to turn too if I needed to lean on them.  I had people I could turn too.  If I began to feel homesick I'm able to hang out with friends who I liked, I could call home and talk to them, or I could 

My suggestions for beating the feeling of homesick are:
  • hang out with friends
  • try something new (through the wilderness program, MOVE, or club or activity)
  • call home to say "Hey!"
  • plan an exciting day (like making a trip to the UMall or Burlington)
  • tackle a project you've been trying to get done (like cleaning your room, or scrap booking)
There is so much to do on campus at St. Mike's that you won't want to spend all your time going home (even if you live close to campus).

No comments:

Post a Comment